AFTER ARIEL
by femmefan1946
Summary: While the crew were robbing the hospital at Ariel, Inara was at the Ariel Madrassa for her annual checkup. It is canon, suggested first by Morena Baccarin and later confirmed by Joss Whedon, that Inara has a fatal illness. It is also canon that the Core population lives longer, normally, than Rim dwellers can expect.


AFTER ARIEL

Inara Serra, for an annual checkup with Doctor Majumber.

Of course, Ms. Serra. The doctor will be right with you.

The assistant led Inara to a brightly lit, bare room and gave her a light silk robe in exchange for her street clothes.

The doctor arrived just as Inara fastened the button that held the robe at her waist.

Ms. Serra, how pleasant to see you again. I understand you have been out system since last year?

Nearly two years now, Doctor. I decided to see something of the Verse while I can.

While you can? Have you had any recurrence of symptoms?

Not really. Your medications seem to keep my energy levels up and I haven't seen any other symptoms.

Good. That's how the meds are supposed to work. We can't cure you, but we can keep you healthy for many years. Still, unless a cure is found, you will have a shorter lifespan than most women. No more than a hundred years, perhaps only ninety.

Only forty more years instead of sixty or more. Sometimes it seems that is quite long enough.

Mmm. Do you notice that emotion coming on just before you take your meds? Depression can be an effect of low hormone levels.

No. Not really. Perhaps it is frustration with my choices.

Mmm?

I left because everything was always the same. Mal… a friend referred to my clientele as "rich and appropriately hygienic men' and perhaps there was a sameness to them all. I had hoped that on the Border and the Rim, I would meet more interesting personalities.

Mmm?

Oh, the clients are somewhat different, but the really different ones I meet are the ship's crew and their colleagues. Some are awful, there is a greasy squirt called Badger they work with out of Persephone: I've scraped less disgusting things off the sole of my shoe. And some are marvellous. We met a fine law officer on Paradiso, who really understood 'peace, order and good government' and how to use the rule of law to keep his community hale.

Do you plan to return to the Madrassa? Deep breaths, please.

Not just yet. Soon. Perhaps not here on Ariel and almost certainly not on Sihohn.

Grip your hand. Fine. And now I need to draw some blood.

Use my right arm, the left has very small veins, I'm told.

Your skin texture is excellent. The slight crepeyness has disappeared. You have regained some of your subcutaneous fat.

I'm surprised. It can be hard on the ship and there have been times when we had almost nothing to eat.

The doctor was shocked. 'But surely. You have your own food.

We share what we have. I've bought supplies from my own money often enough and added to the common supply. Zoe, she's the first mate and quartermaster, probably knows but she's never mentioned it.

Lie down now and don't worry, I warmed the speculum.

Which is why I prefer my doctor to be a woman.

The doctor smiled.

There aren't many male doctors, of course. They lack the thoughtfulness and bedside manner of women. Perhaps I'm prejudiced.

We have a male doctor travelling with us. Inara paused, thinking rapidly. Or at any rate, we did. He disembarked some time ago. He was a very cool and distant personality.

I'm going to take a sample now. You will feel a pinch.

Inara knew it would be more than that, but relaxed into the pain.

And done. My assistant will take you to the imager and when you get back, I will have all your results and a new supply of medications.

The imaging took about half an hour. The assistant brought Inara her own clothing and served her tea and mooncakes while she waited for Dr. Majumber.

When she arrived, Inara offered her a cup of jasmine tea.

Oooh, lovely. I've been run off my feet for the past four hours. Such a pleasure to sit down.

She sipped and smiled.

Everything looks good. Your levels are well within the normal range and there is no need for you to stop working. Both you and your clients are safe. There's no resurgence and I won't need to change your prescription.

I may have difficulty filling a script if I continue travelling.

I can give you another year's supply, but just in case I'll give you a written script as well. I think I can trust you not to double dose?

Of course.

Of course. Wave me if you feel anything might be changing. It won't be a sudden change, so perhaps you should test weekly. If there is a change, move that to daily and wave immediately. You can access help at any madrassa, of course. Hmm. And, since you mention that food can be a problem, I'm going to give you a supply of multi-vitamins and micronutrients.

We always have formed protein.

Mmmm. That's probably fine, but there have been some news reports of counterfeit protein appearing on the market. Nothing poisonous, but definitely lacking in the nutrition it is meant to have. And avoid too much soy-based foodstuffs, of course. The estrogen-like hormones won't do you any favours.

Can I have deep fried tofu with broccoli, at least? I love that.

Occasionally! Not every day. There's an old saying, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Oh, that's something else. Do you eat meat at all? Many Buddhists don't.

Rarely. But I am not a vegetarian.

There have also been some reports of problems with snake-based foods and medicines. So avoid those too. Perhaps other reptiles as well.

Thank you for mentioning that. My clients often will give me expensive foods as some sort of … bribe, courtship? There is a snake and shrimp stir-fry that is very trendy right now on the Border. Apparently it is considered an aphrodisiac.

My goodness, as if a beautiful woman like you isn't enough of an aphrodisiac!

Thank you, but I think it's meant to make me horny, not the client. And of course, it always works.

The two women laughed.


End file.
